Gas-lighter.



s. s. WER SCHANSKY.

GAS 1115111511.. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 25,1918.

1,297,050. Patented 113 11,1919.

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SACHARY srnernmn WERSCHAN'SKY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Gas-LIGHTER.

Specification of-Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 11, 1919.

Application filed October 26, 1918. Serial No. 259,742.

or flint is moved with pressure over a friction surface to produce a sparkwhereby a gas jet is ignited.

The hitherto constructed igniters of this class have the drawback that the user, in

order .to cause strong friction between the flint and friction surface necessary for the production of a spark, must hold the igniter at a point as close to the friction surface as possible and at the same time must press the pin against the latter. This not only is a diflicult and very inconvenient manipulation but is also objectionable for the reason that frequently the users hand becomes burnt.

One of the objects of my invention is to improve the device so as to obviate these drawbacks. 7

Another. object is to produce a lighter in which the flint by itself will be held continuously in eflective frictional contact with the friction surface.

A still further object of my invention is to so construct the lighter that as the flint is moved over the friction surface, the friction will progressively increase and upon its release the flint willbe allowed to quickly return to its starting point.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully'described and set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing in which similar reference characters denote corresponding parts, Figure 1 is an elevation of the lighter; Fig. 2 a section on line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. '3 a front view of the device; Fig. 4an elevation of a part of the device slightly modified; Fig. 5 an elevation of a part of the device with another modified form of construction and Fig. 6 a section on line 66 of Fig. 5.

Referring specifically to the drawing, the lighter comprises .a holder a, a friction plate 6 and a shell 0 carrying the pyrophoric pin or flint cl, which is to be moved along and in frictional contact with the plate b to produce a spark.

The holder a, according to this invention, is preferably made of "a single piece of strong but resilient material such as wire which is bent upon itself to form an implement resembling a pair of pinching tongs,

that is an implement whose forward arms or jaws e, f carry the operating parts, as the friction plate I) and the pin d, and the other arms g, h form handles for grasping and manipulating the implement. Between the forward arms or jaws e, f and the handles g, h, a spring 2' is formedwhich tends to return the pin to and maintain the latter in its starting. position. The arms 9 it being extensions of the arms e and 7 respectively are each,'at their extreme rear ends, folded upon themselves to form inwardly extending parts h, g, which terminate at a point about midway between the ends of the implement and at that point arecoiled to form a spring a. In order thatthe spring 71 may effectively actuate the arm 6 carrying the flint or pin d, the outer and inner parts 9, h and g, h of each of the handles are rigidly connected by soldering, welding, twisting or by braces, which may be in form of metal bands 3', j (Fig. 1) or wire coils j, 9" (Fig. 4:).

The arm or jaw f which carries the friction plate bhas, at its forward end, a U- shaped portion which extends above and across the plane in which the arm 6 operates. The friction surface 6 is in form of a short steel file or plate having a rough surface and is recessed at its ends to engage the end pieces of the U-shaped portion f and to be held in position by friction. The rough surface of said plate 6 is directed toward the arm 6.

pin d carried by the upwardly bent end of With the hitherto used lighters, the cross piece f of the U-shaped portion is made to extend substantially parallel to the plane of the holder. Qwing to this construction, the user must continuously press the pin against the friction surface while at the same time moving it across the said surface. This manipulation is not only difficult and inconvenient but often fails to proouce a spark. A repeated movement of the pin or flint across the friction surface causes both these parts to quickly wear out.

To remedy this drawback, l bend the cross piece 7' of the U-shaped portion to extend in a downwardly inclined direction toward the plane of theholder, so that in moving the pin across the surface the friction will automatically increase from the starting point thereof. On the other hand when the arm (2 is released, the pin d willquickly and with diminishing friction return to its starting point.

Another objection to the old lighter is that the pin (Z is allowed to work only on a comparatively small area of the friction surface, the area being limited by the flange c of the flint shell 0 striking the end pieces of the U-shaped portion f of the holder. To remedy this, I bend the forward end 6 of the arm 6 toward the arm f and the ti of the said bent portion 6 is bent upward y in an outwardly slanting direction, so that the pin d in its starting position, is close to the respective end of the friction surface. For the same reason the opposite end bend f of the U-shaped portion f is bent outwardly, so that when the pin is moved from its starting position, the flange c of the shell 0 will not strike the said end before the pin arrives at the opposite end of the friction surface.

Th operation of this device is as follows:

. The implement is grasped with one hand around the handles g, it thereof and compressed. As a result, the arm 6, against the tension of the coils i, is swung so as to move the pin (Z from its starting position shown in Fig. 1 toward the opposite end of the friction surface and thereby produce a spark. By reason of the friction surface being slanting toward the path of the pin, the friction will increaseas the pin moves from its starting position and thereby insure the production of a spark. By holding the tool around the handles and therefore a considerable distance away from the operating parts, the danger of burning of ones hand will be eliminated.

In Figs. 5 and 6 instead of circular coils 2', a serpentine coil i is used. The loops is and Z for fastening the folded parts of the handles 7L and g are provided with extensions 70, Z which are made to telescope in each heat en other to form guides for the spring 5' preventing the latter from bendino sidewise during the compression of the handles it and j.

What I claim and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is:

1. A gas lighter comprising a bifurcated holder having a movable arm, a pyrophoric pin or flint carried by said arm, a friction surface carried by and arranged at an acute angle to the other arm of said holder, said friction surface extending in a slanting position relative to the path of said pin the part of the arm carrying said flint being bent toward one end of said friction surface, the two arms being each folded upon themselves and connected together by a coil, for the purpose specified.

2. A gas lighter comprising a resilient holder in form of a pair of pinching tongs, a friction surface and a pyrophoric pinror flint carried by the arms at one endof-said holder, the arms at the opposite end of the latter serving as handles for grasping and manipulating said lighter, and a spring formed by folding each of said handles upon itself and coiling it intermediate between the ends of said holder.

8. A gas lighter comprising a resilient holder made of one piece in form-of apair of pinching tongs, a friction surface and a pyrophoric pin or flint carried by the arms at one end of said holder, the arms at the opposite end of said holder serving as handles and being folded upon themselves and coiled at an intermediate point of said holder to form a spring.

at. A as lighter comprising a holder in form of a pair of pinching tongs made of a single piece of resilient material, a friction surface carried by one of the arms atone end of said holder and a pyrophoric pin carried by the other of said arms, the arms at the opposite end serving as handlesv andbeing folded upon themselvesand coiled at an intermediate point to form a spring and means for effecting a joint between said arms and coil.

5. A gas lighter comprising a holder made in form of a pair of pinching tongs and having resilient arms at one end and resilient handles the opposite end, said resilient handles being folded upon themselves and coiled at an intermediate point of said holder to form a spring, a pyrophoric pin or flint carried by one of said. armsand a friction surface carried by the other of said arms to cooperate with said flint and *produce a spark upon the compression of said handles.

6. A gas lighter, comprising a holder made in form of a pair of pinching tongs and having resilient arms at oneendand resilient handles at the opposite end, a pyrophoric pin or flint carried by one of said arms and a friction surface carried by the other of said arms to cooperate with said flint, said resilient handles being folded upon themselves and coiled at an intermediate point of said holder to form a sprin and a, band for bracing together the foiled parts of each handle so as to render the said spring eflectite. 10

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 11. 0. 

